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Sunday, 27 January 2013

There is a crew call over at Technique Time Tuesday. TTT is a challenge blog that explores different techniques, stretching skill levels and teaching new ideas, pop over and take a look.
This is my application for the DT. I have chosen to use the Bargello technique shown last year because it reminds me of one of my Granny's favourite cushions. If you would like to know how to do this then click here for the TTT bargello tutorial.
When I put the strips down I used double sided tape. I had some small gaps so I dusted with gold mica powder which stuck to the tape and gave me a subtle gold shimmer instead of nasty white marks.

I have also used the gold mica on the green background which is stamped with a Tim Holtz flourish. I cut the leaf shape using an X-Cut die, I used the largest die for the bargello so I had to draw around the outside of the die on gold card and cut out by hand to get the thin gold mat layer.
The cream roses are made up from Tattered Floral die cuts and edged with a tiny touch of gold ink. The greeting is the smallest leaf die cut from one of the patterned papers used in the bargello with a small gold greeting added.
I love to learn new techniques so a challenge site like this is a great way of doing so.

Monday, 21 January 2013

Somehow it feels right to be making Christmas cards while there's snow outside, even if it is eleven months to go.
This weeks challenge over at 52 CCT is the use of glitter and patterned papers, while Jingle Belles have a red and white Scandinavian feel so after a sift through the Christmas stash this is what I've managed to come up with. I found a lovely red ribbon from a box of chocolates (all eaten in the name of craft) so I can also enter Crafty Hazelnut's challenge to recycle.
I began by covering a square card with patterned paper. Then added a row of 3 mm high tack tape around the edge which I covered with red glitter, I've found this a cheaper way of adding a glitter border than using glitter card to mat with, plus I'm not covering up all that lovely glittery card in the middle.
The bauble is cut from red pearl card using a Spellbinder die and then run through an embossing folder before being sanded back to show the white core, (this is also a good way to hide any cracks that may appear in the red top layer). It is then mounted using foam pads.

The ribbon is stuck on with high tack tape because it has a textured surface, I also added a small length of Scandinavian style ribbon to the straight edge, again stuck on with high tack tape. The greeting is stuck on with thin foam pads across the bauble. The bottom corners looked a little empty so I have put on some red gems to give it a little more sparkle.
As requested in the 52 CCT Challenge I have decorated the inside with a bauble branch stamp in Distress Ink Festive Berries and added a small bauble to the front and back of the envelope in true 'Ruth' style! It really makes the whole card look so classy, thanks Ruth it's a great idea.
I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Tuesday, 15 January 2013

Another play with the new gilding flakes resulted in this silvery tree. I had to pick out the flakes carefully this time because I only wanted silver, not too hard as most of the pot is silver with only a few other colours mixed in.

I began by colouring white card with Distress Ink Shaded Lilac and a shaving brush. I've been thinking about getting some of those lovely dusting brushes I've seen available but thought I'd try a shaving brush I picked up in a charity shop first, I love the effect and think I might try and find some more shaving brushes at 50p each!! I then added Seedless Preserve and Shaded Lilac to the card to give it depth, SP and SL are previously seasonal set Distress colours available now as single pads.

The stamp is from Chocolate Baroque and has purple gems stuck on with Cosmic Shimmer dries clear PVA, as are the clear gems on the edges.

The image is matted on to white and then on to silver mirri card before going on to purple card and then the white card blank. I had to go and buy some purple card, I went through my whole stash and couldn't believe I had no purple!

Thursday, 10 January 2013

I know it's only the beginning of the year but if I start now I might manage to make enough!! There are a number of very good challenge sites dedicated to Christmas cards, all with the aim of relieving the stress of mass production in November.
This card uses backing paper from my stash, can't remember how old this one is! I've also used some stash Mirri card embossed with a snowflake folder that was free with a magazine and silver ribbon from the depths of my very untidy ribbon box.
The main image is a little sample left over from the pre-Christmas demonstration flurry. The stamp is from Personal Impressions, he's stamped onto white card in Archival black and then masked off with another snowman stamped on a sticky note and cut out.
The background is made using Distress Ink Salty Ocean, which is one of the new colours now available as a single pad, and some torn copy paper. The topper has been spritzed with water to get the snowflake effect before colouring the snowman's scarf so the colours didn't run. The scarf is coloured with Distress Markers.
I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Friday, 4 January 2013

A Sparkling New Year to you all. This my first challenge entry of 2013 so I'm starting it off with a bang!
Over on Jingle Belles Rock the current theme is 'Look What Santa Brought Me' so I have set too with the FlitterGlu kit I got from my son and a new set of die's from Do Crafts that Santa would have got for me if they had been released before Christmas, honest!!
I have used the die's to cut my London skyline in black, silver and white glitter card. Having seen the fireworks at New Year I thought the clock face should be gold. I chose to have white at the back as I wanted to mount it on black card, then I could use my FlitterGlu with flakes and glitters to make the fireworks.
I have a firework stamp in my stash that has been around for ages, it originally came from Anita's. I followed the instructions in my kit to apply the FlitterGlu and was quite impressed with the result. I experimented with glitter, guilding flakes and foils to see what they looked like and though the foil was good it didn't have the right look for this card, so I stuck with flakes for the silvery explosion and fine glitter for the red, green and gold.
I think I shall be using this product quite a bit more. It makes using the stamps you already have more versatile as they're not just for ink anymore. For those of you not familiar with FlitterGlu it is available from IndigoBlu.

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About Me

I've been crafting for as long as I can remember, thanks to the encouragement of my family. I'm a freelance demonstrator and designer based in Norfolk, UK. I am also on a few design teams and get to work for some great suppliers in craft shops and at shows.